The Telangana High Court on June 18 directed the state government to provide PPE kits to doctors and other healthcare professionals attending to COVID-19 patients.

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A division bench gave several directions to the government while hearing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) about the COVID situation in the test, lack of adequate testing and the government not providing N-95 masks, face shields, goggles, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits to doctors at Gandhi Hospital, the nodal facility for treatment of COVID-19 patients. For a second consecutive day, the court shot a valley of questions at the state government.

The Director of Public Health and the Gandhi Hospital Superintendent appeared before the bench. The director informed the court that 79 healthcare professionals in the state have so far tested positive for COVID-19. The Superintendent conveyed to the court that Gandhi Hospital is experimenting with plasma therapy and use of anti-viral drugs.

The bench comprising two Chief Justice asked the government to provide key information in the daily media bulletin on COVID situation. In view of increasing number of cases being registered in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, the court ordered the government to release ward-wise details of the cases and provide the information to colony resident's associations.

The court also asked the court to take into consideration the suggestion by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct antigen tests. It asked the government to increase the number of tests. The government was also directed to explain why it feels random tests will not help. The bench also asked the government to respond why mobile labs cannot be run. The court sought a report from the government by June 29.

The government informed that 54 hospitals across the state can conduct COVID-19 tests. Of them, 22 are in GHMC limits and 32 in other districts. The court wanted the government to widely publicise important information about COVID-19 tests, results and hospitals where the treatment is available. It directed that the shift system implemented in the Gandhi hospital should be made applicable to doctors in the other government hospitals.

The series of directions came a day after the court remarked that the state has lost interest in fighting COVID-19 and that it is ready to throw in the towel with a message that everyone should fend for themselves. Expressing its displeasure over the government ignoring its orders, the bench wanted to know why the government is not sending its medical staff to test people door-to-door. Telangana has been witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases with daily jump of over 200 cases. The total cases on June 17 crossed 5,400. The death toll stands at 192.